Our visit to Bar Harbor, Maine and the surrounding area landed us at a super RV campsite called Wild Acadia Camping Resort. This is a wonderful park and the giant Fun Zone at the entrance would be ideal for any families with children who like to swim, soar down water slides, climb walls or play mini putt. The shorts ones we love back home would be in Dreamland here. It proved to be an ideal stop that gave us easy access to beautiful Bar Harbor (just 20 minutes away) and a long list of other incredible sites.
One of the highlights of our visit was having a few days to explore Acadia National Park on the shores of Maine. The park protects the highest rocky headlands along the U.S. coastline and with more than four million visitors each year, it ranks in the top ten most-visited parks in the US.
After stopping at the Hulls Cove Visitor Centre at the entrance of the park, we proceeded along the scenic 27 mile “Loop Road”. The road travels in one way only which helps drivers like me who can get easily confused, or so my navigator often reminds me. There are miles of hiking trails throughout this pristine park, but what we enjoyed most was just strolling or driving along the coast, stopping to experience the many incredible lookouts.
All of the park’s coast is breath taking with the sights and sounds of waves crashing, the craggy rocks, the smell of the ocean, and the array of coastal birds soaring by. Our favourite stop involved a fun hike down to see “Thunder Hole”. This is one of the most popular sites along the Loop Road where crashing waves have carved a hole through coastal rocks over millions of years. As they crash through and up through the hole, the booming sounds exactly like thunder clouds clapping.
Gordie loved the 45-minute walk down to Thunder Hole, but he didn’t quite like the walk back up the trail. So, he did what Gordie often does on any walk, he stopped dead in his tracks. The sudden jerk of his leash almost pulled my shoulder out of its socket. What is with Westies? Gordie is not that big, but when he wants to stop, he instantly morphs into a white hunk of concrete. Immovable.
“Poor Gordie,” said Bernadette. “He must be over heated and over tired. You’re going to have to carry him.” Gordie turned his head toward me and I swear I saw him smile. Sometimes, I get the distinct feeling that Gordie is playing me for a sucker. However, in this case, and with Bernadette’s maternal concerns for her precious puppy, I had no choice.
I picked up Gordie and proceeded hiking the uphill part of the trail. The next 45 minutes were a blur. People walking by us kept saying things like, “Oh that poor little puppy. He must be over heated and over tired.” Nobody said anything about the poor guy who was carrying him, sweating profusely, wheezing and stumbling along. A twenty pound dog is fairly light for the first few minutes, but as you pass the forty minute mark, it is like carrying a two hundred pound beast!
Eventually, we made it back to the truck where Gordie was safe and sound tucked into his car bed. I, on the other hand, felt like I was being tapped on the shoulder by the Grim Reaper. I have never been hotter, redder or whoozier. Bernadette, however, didn’t seem too fixated on my condition, but she sure seemed happy to see Gordie safely resting in his safe space.
“What a brave little guy you are Gordie,” she cooed. “I’m going to get you a nice cookie.” Of course, Gordie immediately perked up as he always does when hearing the work “cookie”. I swear, I saw him smile at me again. This time, even more slyly than before. He just loves playing me like a sucker. And he’s really good at it.
